Community Alert: Kwanzaa: 2017 Entertainment Line Up

JOIN THE VILLAGE PROJECT FOR KWANZAA, 2017

Opening Day of Kwanzaa, 2017

@ City Hall

12th Kwanzaa Celebration, Umoja (Unity)

Dec. 26th, 12 Noon

The Village Project will present their 12th annual Kwanzaa celebrations throughout San Francisco, with seven days of community events, starting on Dec. 26th through January 1st. Striving to heal, unite and strengthen our family, community and nation, we will celebrate each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba). There will be 16 free events in 8 different neighborhoods. We are excited to add Booker T. Washington Community Center and RSSE to this year’s schedule. Each hosting organization will present exciting and enriching cultural programs, intended to both entertain and engage the entire family. A spiritual ceremony – pouring of libations and honoring of ancestors- will start each program and will be followed by a feast, live entertainment and the lighting of one of the seven candles of the Kinara. This year’s celebration will start at City Hall on Dec. 26th at 12 Noon, with Umoja (Unity) and end at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church on Jan. 1st at 6 pm with the lighting of the final candle, Imani (faith). Tia Carroll and Band will performed following the ceremony.

This year’s entertainment line-up begins with the St. Gabriel’s Brass Band, at the Museum of the African Diaspora on the Dec. 26th at 2 pm. They will complement MOAD’s current exhibits, “En Mas’: Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean” and “Otra Mas’, a photography exhibition honoring the long legacy of Carnaval San Francisco and its 40th Anniversary”. The other headliners are a myriad of rhythm & blues bands such as Fillmore Slim, Final Touch Band, The Silver Fox, Funk Star and Tia Carroll; dance artists, including The Village Dancers, the Talent All Stars & DNA Dance Tribe; spoken word artists from Project Level; drumming, featuring Bitezo and Bantus Sissa Kongo. A feast of savory delights will be a part of each ceremony. Bernard Anderson and his blues band will round out our first day of Kwanzaa, performing at the African American Arts and Culture complex at 7 pm, where the first candle of the Kinara will be lit for Umoja (unity).

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY

Umoja (unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

will perform at MOAD, bringing a New Orleans style processional to a carnival atmosphere, complementing MOAD’s current exhibits, “En Mas’: Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean” along with “Otra Mas’, a photography exhibition honoring the long legacy of Carnaval San

Francisco and its 40th Anniversary”.

7 pm: Bernard Anderson will kick-off Umoja at the AAACC, 762 Fulton @ Webster. Join us for some west coast blues and enjoy a succulent feast! There will be spoken word, along with Les Bantus Sissa Kongo performing African dance & drumming.

Kugichagulia (Self Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

6 pm: Success Center and Citizen Film will host the day’s second celebration at the WestBay Conference Center, 1290 Fillmore @ Eddy, with a performance by Fillmore SLIM

NIA (purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Saturday, December 30th

1:pm:Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, 380 Fulton @ Gough, performance by the Talent All Stars.

3:00 pm: Mr. “C” will DJ at the Protrero Hill Rec. Center, 801 Arkansas. This Nia ceremony will be hosted by the Potrero Hill Family Resource Center.

6 pm: Mr. “C” will also spin records at , Booker T. Washington Community Center, 800 Presidio @ Sutter, with a performance by the Prescott Circus.

Kuumba (Creativity) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Sunday, December 31st

1 pm: Bitezo will perform at the San Francisco Main Library, Koret Theater, 100 Larkin Street.

4 pm: Third Baptist Church, 1366 McAllister @ Piercewill close Kuumba with music and spoken word by the youth.

Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Monday, January 1st

6 pm: Tia Carroll will close this year’s celebration at St. Cyprian’s Church, 2097 Turk @ Lyon Street. We will light the last candle, Imani, (Faith). Dr. Dorothy Tsuruta, Chair of Africana Studies at San Francisco State, will again serve as MC.